


The person between shades of black and white

by SheenaKazia



Category: Original Work
Genre: Alpha wolves, Character Death, Demons, F/M, High School, I'm not afraid to kill people off, Missing Persons, Monster Hunters, Self-Harm, Suicide, Teenage drama and shit, Werewolf, White Magic, black magic, monsters in general - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-28
Updated: 2017-03-22
Packaged: 2018-09-27 12:18:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10020500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SheenaKazia/pseuds/SheenaKazia
Summary: Star was a normal high school student until everything goes wrong on an overnight school trip. She soon learns there's more to this world than she ever imagined.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is an original work, just figured I'd post it and see what happens.

God please,  don't let them notice me. I prayed under my breath as I walked the through the door to wildlife biology room. The air still smelled of last week experiment, vinegar and bleach clung to the air like a choking mist. I strode quickly to my seat in the back of the class. 

God was not with me today, waiting on my desk was a paper with red ink. I crumpled it after seeing one word written on the bottom. Witch. I tossed the paper in trash can and returned to my desk, checking for anything else they might have done to my seat. 

Screws were still tight, the seat looks dry, but I grabbed some paper towels off one of the lad tables and wipe my seat. The towle came up with a dark blue stain. Of course, Methylene Blue. I quickly drop the towel in the trash can before it could stain my hand. I put my duffel bag on the back counter. I hopped up next to my bag listening to the other kids curse at the failure of their cheap prank.

“It’s too bad she didn’t fall for the seat, right Dick” hissed a boy named Joseph his black hair was curly and unkempt. He and another boy were glaring at me with unashamed hatred. 

“How does she always know” Asked Dick, his red hair was greasy and stuck to his head constantly 

Dick was built like a brick wall and about as smart as one. he could beat anyone up, and followed Joseph around like a dog. The two of them terrorized half  the school and I was their favorite target. they had set about every sort of nasty prank you could think of for me. “Is it because she’s a witch” 

“It’s more likely that she’s used to your childish pranks” A dark haired boy called from the window where two other boys were playing a card game on the lab table. The boy was tall and slender with shiny brown eyes. behind him the other two boys looked up from their game.

“Kasey, Only you would protect a murderer’s daughter” Joseph snarled at him his eyes flashing to me. Dick got up and went to Joseph side as he continued “What is she your girl now or do you just make a habit of defending the wrong people”

“No, She’s not my girl, but she is a girl and should be able to sit in her desk without worrying about scum like you messing with it” Kasey said towering over Joseph. the other two boys had put their game up and stood behind Kasey. Some of the girls were whispering to each other already, the word fight was hanging in the room like a knife.

“Did you just call me scum while protecting that thing” Joseph said bitterly while pointing towards me. his hand shaking with rage. Kasey faked confusion looking along the back wall as if he’d missed something.

“What thing? All I see is a human girl” he said enunciating the word human, running a hand through his hair. “you on other hand are scum, so yes I called you scum”

Joseph face went completely red and probably would have throw a punch at Kasey if Mr. Callahan hadn’t walked in just then. 

“Sit down everyone, I thought I had made the no fighting rule very clear.” Mr Callahan took one look at the group of boys and ordered them to their seats again before adding “Joseph I thought you were smart enough to know Kasey could whip you in a fight”

Joseph shot the teacher a dark look, while Kasey just smile. Kasey always stood up for me, when he saw something going on. Though I don’t know why I’ve barely said ten words to the boy.

"as you know today we leave for the three day camping trip for the advance student and you'll follow the rules" Mr. Callahan said looking at the whole class with steady eyes. "There will be no bullying on this trip, If I hear of it you get sent home"

The class nodded silently as the teacher explained the rules and regulations for the trip. Mr. Callahan didn't comment on me not sitting at my desk. like most teachers here, he knew about the bullying and did nothing. 

Everyone in town hated my family, what was left of it. My mom disappeared two years ago, and my dad was the prime suspect in her disappearance. My dad had tried to keep me uninvolved, so I didn't know a lot about the case. He'd done everything to keep my name out of the case but it didn't matter. Somehow over the course of time, my mother's disappearance became a murder and I'd become his accomplice.

I sighed running my hands over a wrinkle in my black shirt. One of the many things that the kids made fun of me for was that I always wore black. I would continue to wear black until my mother was found. Only when my family was whole and mine and my father's names were cleared would I wear another color.

It was stupid and childish to think that what I wore made any difference in my mother's case. But if I stopped,then I was giving up, and I could not give up. I was the only one still looking, even my father had given up. 

Actually, my father never really tried to find my mom. He'd always said that she'd come home on her own. We only needed to hang on till then. I gritted my teeth at the memory of his response. I hated that calm assurance he always held when I asked about my mom. 

Mr. Callahan slammed his hand on his desk and ordered the class to the bus. I slid off the counter reaching for my bag, but someone had already picked it up. 

“Sorry about your desk. Joseph had already messed with it by the time we got here” Kasey said throwing my bag over his shoulder. I shrugged not meeting his gaze. He let me lead the way out of classroom without another word. We made it to the front doors before he spoke again. “you pack pretty light for a girl”

“We're only leaving for three days. I don't know why most girls feel the need to pack their entire closet” I was the only girl who only had packed just one bag. The rest of girls had at least two, one girl even had four bags. What was she planning on world war three breaking out while we were on this trip. 

He smiled amused by my comment. I watched as he threw our bags in one of the bus’s luggage compartments. I waited till he turned and faced me before speaking “Not that I'm not grateful, but what's up with the nice guy act”

“What do you mean” he asked genuinely surprised by my question. 

“why do you always stand up for me?”

He shifted a little rubbing the back of his neck. He sucked in a deep breath before answering in a wary voice. “Because I remember who you were before” he looked away from me “in our freshman year, you were always so kind. You used to tutor me and my brother during lunch”

“Huh? Really, I don't remember that” I said darkly. I had intentionally forgotten my freshman year. All the snide comments, sideways glances,the rumors, the constant harassment from the cops, the aching fear for my mom, the nights that fear was double when my dad was dragged to the police station leaving me alone in the house, were painful. there was nothing worth remembering from my freshman year. 

“Well, I do and I'm grateful that you took the time to help us, even when your own life wasn't, so well” he said. I nodded and walked away. He followed me to the door of the bus. “Sorry, I'm sure that's something you don't like to talk about”

“no not really” I said curtly trying to keep the grimace of my face.

“Sorry” he said as we climbed up the stairs of the bus. I quickly took a seat near the front of bus. The more annoying kids would sit at the back of the bus. 

“Kasey, mom called she wants to talk to you” A golden haired boy said poking his head inside the bus. I closed my eyes and pretended to fall asleep as Kasey walked away.

I was left alone in my seat. only a few kids sat in the middle and most of the kids crowded the back. Mr Callahan and his daughter were the only two who stayed up front and they sat in the seats to my left.

We left just after two in the afternoon and would reach our campsite by eight if the traffic was good. Mr. Callahan called roll and then we were off. I stared out the window, watching the yellow traffic line sway as the bus moved down its lane.

After a few hours the bus stopped at a gas station. I stayed on the bus while the rest of the kids ran inside to get food or use the bathroom. I curled up in a ball and watched a group of girls laughing and messing around. 

Sad envy settled in my chest. I didn't have any friends. All the kids I had thought were my friends turned on me after the incident with my mom. I hadn't laughed like those girls in years.

I couldn't even blame the other kids for avoiding me. Everything about me seemed to radiate sadness. My clothes, my attitude, even I thought my voice sounded sad. Who would want to hang around a constant joy-kill?

I turned away from the window and pretended to fall asleep again. The kids started coming back in small groups. I kept my eyes closed trying to tune everything out. 

Something crinkled next to me as one group walked by. I opened my eyes to see a bag chips had placed on my seat. I turned in time to see Kasey and his friends take a seat. None of them were looking my way or at each other which made me suspicious of them.

Mr. Callahan called roll again and we were off. I open the bag and munched absently as I watched as the sun sunk behind the towering mountains. I loved the winter. I loved it when it snowed. The only drawback was that it got dark by six o'clock.

I yawned as  shiver ran down my back. I turned to look over my shoulder. Some of the kids were standing between the seats. Other were sitting on their friends laps laughing and smiling. A few kids were even asleep. The bus looked completely happy and peaceful and then everything changed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please feel free to leave comments or critiques. I don't bite


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Demon enter stage left

It happened too fast. One minute the bus was running through the desert, caring me and my class. The next everything was flipped. Broken glass and blood was everywhere. I could see the still figure of my teacher laying on the windows. I looked around the bus to see screaming kids and bloody windows were now the floor and ceiling.

"Hey, shut up and stop screaming" I yelled as loud as I could. The kids at the front heard and stopped. I turned my focus on the Mr. Callihan. His daughter had been sitting in the row behind me before the crash. She was now sobbing her leg twisted in a crushed seat. I was able to quickly find a pulse on Mr Callihan. The back of his balding head was bleeding from a long gash that stretched down to his back.

"Hey wake up Mr. Callahan" I said gently shaking him as the screams started to fade. Nothing. I shook him a little harder still nothing. I could feel the panic building in my chest. I took a steadying breath before yelling loudly "Everyone who can needs to get out of the bus."

"But what about our friends" a boy cried from the back of the bus his shoulder was darkened by blood and his eyes streamed with tears.

"Unless they have a neck injury or are trapped under something you could try and help them out" I yelled back hoping that was the right advice as I kicked out the emergency exit tile from the ceiling. "We need a place for camp and staying in the bus is a bad idea" 

When I crawled out into the night two things caught my eyes. The first was a body bloody and mangled on the ground. I took a few steps closer before I realized who it was. 

It was Kasey, our class hero. He was kind athletic and smart. Or had been now, his dead mangled body had been thrown 20 feet from the bus maybe more. The second thing I noticed was the light coming from the front of the bus. 

Oh no! The front of the bus was on fire. Sticking my head in the bus I called out a warning "get out now the bus is on fire"

"Star, please help us" Mr. Callahan's daughter yelled as I was about to back out. Her blond hair was sticking to her face and her blue eyes loaded with fear as she begged for help. Reluctantly I crawled back in and vainly tried to wake up Mr. Callihan again. "What's wrong why won't he wake up"

"Hell if I know" I replied before I started kicking the seat in front of me while Mr. Callahan's daughter kept rambling on and on like I was actually paying attention to her. Snap! Finally, I thought to myself as I placed the backrest under Mr. Callihan and grabbed someone's purse using it's strap to tie Mr Callihan to the improvised stretcher.

"Star, where are you going" the girl's frightened voice called as I started to drag her father to the hole. Damn it's too big to fit through here. 

"I'm going to get your dad out then come back for you" I said racking my brain for her name and coming up blank. I dragged Mr. Callahan through the hole, trying to support his head against my shoulder and praying, to my usually absent god, that this didn't break his neck or something. 

The hole was a foot above the ground and while it had seemed like nothing before. Now it seemed like more of a challenge as I tried to pull my teacher's dead weight through without dropping him. I thanked god that Mr. Callahan was one of our smaller teachers. I could hear more crying as I finally pulled out my unconscious teacher.

"No, he can't be dead. Not Kasey." All the voices seemed to echo each other as the boys formed a group around the body some of the girls were there to sobbing into the shoulders of the boys. I could feel the tightness building in my chest at the thought of Kasey. He was kind to everyone, even a freak like me. No! You can't think about now. I told myself as I crawled back into the bus to the girl's scared face.

"This is going to hurt" I said quickly pulling on the seat. Perhaps god was more present than I gave him credit for, because the seat started coming up fairly easily. "Kay can you get out now?"

"I can't feel my leg" she cried as I tried to look under the seat. The smell of smoke filled the air with it's choking stench. The fire was still going. Quickly I grabbed her arms and pulled her out from under the seat. She slid out fairly smoothly, with a loud scream right in my face.

"Shut up" I said looping her arms around me and walked to the hole caring her most of her weight. "I'm going through the hole first then I'm going to pull you through" I said while placing her on the floor. 

Damn, that's messed up, I thought as I caught a better look at her leg. It didn't even resemble a leg really the bone was sticking out and the rest of it looked like hamburger. 

Carefully I pulled her out and she screamed again as her leg brushed the edge of the hole. her feet dropping to the ground as she finally came through.

"Anne,  thank god you're okay" Mr. Callihan yelled from where he was standing. He was now keeping kids from staring at Kasey. His gray eyes shined in the fire light.

"Anyone else in there" a boy asked and helped me drag Anne further from the bus. His eyes were still streaming with tears and his golden hair was wet with blood his left side.

"Not alive" I reply trying to keep the image of bloody bus seats and still bodies out of my head.

"Are you sure?" He asked looking around the twenty odd kids who had gotten out with the saddest look on his face. "Please tell me there's a chance some of them are still alive"

"I didn't personally check every body but" before I finished the bus exploded into flames the remaining windows shattered sending glass flying into the wind. Some of it hitting my arms and shoulders.

"No" the boy whispered as he looked at the inflamed bus with despair. "What am I going to tell mom"

I looked at the boy other than the small cut to the head he looked fine, though that couldn't mean much. He was quite the rest of the way back to the group.

"So, um, who are you" I asked as we finally drop Anne about thirty feet from the bus where the rest of the kids had gathered.

"Jonathan, you should know me. we've taken the same math class for three years now" he said eyeing me with concern. He pulled on the hem of his blue t-shirt that a couple blood stains on it. 

It was a school shirt with the mascot on it. the blue devil was our school mascot and honestly it always crept me out. Now however it sent chills down my spine.

"I've never really paid attention to who's been in a class with me or not" I finally replied after a moment of silence. “Sorry”

"I'm Kasey's brother" Jonathan said flatly.

“Um is Zack with you then” I asked I knew Kasey had two brothers, but I hadn't thought I met either of them. I only knew Zack’s name because he was a young genius or something. 

“No” he sounded like he was choking on something. Oh no, poor guy. Both his brothers, in one foul swoop. 

“I'm so sorry” I said shoving my blood covered hands in my pockets. Jonathan just stared at the ground looking dazed. I shuffled my feet awkwardly, not sure how to comfort him. I sucked in a deep breath before speaking softly “I can't even begin to imagine what you're going through, but I, um, I'll be here if you need me or something”

“really?” he asked flatly. I nodded slowly. He let me lead him to the edge of the group. If he was going to break down crying, he wasn't going to want an audience.

I brushed my hair out of my face and cringed at the stinging pain it stirred up. “Ouch, What the”

My fingers came back covered in fresh blood. I carefully ran my fingers across the sore part. I felt sick when fingers found the deep cut that ran along the side of my head. 

Jonathan was eyeing my fingers with well hid shock only his voice gave him away. "That black hair of yours makes it hard for us to tell if you're hurt I guess, but you knew it was there. right?" His voice cracked at the end. 

"I do now" I replied looking around at the freezing kids. We needed to do something or we'd freeze in the night. I looked around at the sagebrush and greasewood. 

Fire, we're going to need a fire. The road we crashed on was out in the middle of nowhere. The chances of someone finding us before the three days had passed was next to impossible. "We need to make a fire"

Jonathan nodded and started off towards the group to get more help. I went off in the opposite direction of the group picking up as much dry grass and bark as I could. Soon I found myself making a game of naming the grass as I picked them. 

This is Indian blue grass, this is sand dropseed, crested wheatgrass I thought to myself as I walked further and further. I hadn't realized how I'd gone till the first drop of rain landed on my shoulder. The bus was just a small spot of orange fire from here. 

"I should probably go back now" I said out loud taking a couple steps back to the camp when a quiet clicking sound began to my right. As I turned to look, something hard smack into my right side tearing my shirt and throwing me into the air. 

I landed in some sort of haze that soon enveloped me. whatever it was it was burning hot and quickly consumed me like a living fire. A purple light fill my vision as the pain pulled me out of consciousness.


	3. Chapter 3

I wasn't sure how long I'd been out for but when I finally started coming around, I could feel something shaking me.

"Hey wake up, hey you need to wake up" a familiar voice called somewhere off in the distance. it's echoing am I in a tunnel? "Come on Miss you need to wake up"

"Uhg" the moan left my parched lips with strong resistance. I struggled with my eyes to get them to open. The bright blue sky held only thin clouds as the sun fought its way up the mountains "What happened" 

"That's what I was going to ask" Jonathan said eyeing me with guarded eyes. His blue eyes were slightly red and puffy like he'd been crying. Well, he probably had. 

"What's wrong, Jonathan" I said my voice sounded strange to me, it seemed almost musical and smooth despite how rough and dry my throat felt. What the hell, that's different I thought to myself as I pushed myself up so that I was in a sitting position. A layer of ice that had formed over my clothes cracked and fell away with the movement. 

"How do you know my name" Jonathan said his eyes wide. His gold hair was frizzy and slightly dusty were the blood hadn't glue it to his head. Now that there was light I could see the large bruise that covered his right shoulder. "Who are you?"

"What are talking about. Aren't you the one who cussed me out for not knowing who you were" I replied getting to my feet swiftly looking around for the group.

"What are you talking about? What's your name" he said his eyes widened and threatening to pop from their sockets and run. I couldn't believe he needed to ask. Everyone knew who I was and made fun of me on a daily basis. I was the weird goth girl who everyone swore used black magic to curse them while they slept.

"Star, you know Star Greathouse, creepy goth girl who always wears black" I said motioning to my outfit with my hands which were six shades whiter than I remembered. The skin on my arms look exactly like white porcelain. "What the"

I stared at my arms looking for the bruises or cuts I'd had the night before. even the cuts from the glass that had exploded from the bus was healed. I felt my throat tighten as ran my fingers over my ear. Right were the gash had hid in my dark hair. Nothing! As I pulled my hand away some hair caught between my fingers. "What? how,  this is, my hair . . . .  It's turned white!"

Jonathan had either been too shocked or was kind enough to not say anything up till this point. Though he was still looking at me as if I was an alien. "Star?"

I wasn't sure if he was questioning who I claimed to be or if he was trying to calm me down. He reached out  and grabbed my arm. His touch sent sparks flying a crossed my skin causing me to shiver. He pulled me into a hug holding me close before saying "I'm so glad you're alright. I was scared out of my mind when you didn't come back last night"

"Uh sorry I guess" I replied trying to subtly get out of his sudden grip. I felt caged and I wanted out. I felt my body locked down as I struggled to find a gentle way out.  It took him a minute to figure out why I was so still. he reluctantly let me go. "How is everyone else"

"Kimberly and Conner died last night" he said his eyes regaining their earlier haze. His breaths were starting to become a little ragged as he continued "now there's nine students dead, and we've got no food or water about half of us are injured and there's"

I cut him off placing a finger over his lips and stared him in the eyes before speaking "it'll work out, you'll see."

"Maybe, maybe not. But what happened to you. You look completely different from how you did before." He said from underneath my finger. He absently grabbed a stray lock of my hair and gently tucked it behind my ear. "Even your eyes are different now"

"What! my eyes are different too" I asked fear making my voice pitch an octave higher than I meant it to. I spun away from him wishing there was somewhere to hide. What the hell was going on. What happened last night?

"Yeah they've turned gold, kind of wolf like" he said watching as I walked in circles  around him trying to figure out what had happened to change me.  Crash, explosion, I started running through last night's events in my head as I paced, searched for tinder, started raining, headed back. I stopped pacing as I remember the last thing to happened to me. “Star?”

"Something attacked me last night" I said looking at Jonathan wordlessly pleading that something could clear this up. " I didn't see it. The thing attacked me from the side."

"It'll be okay Star, but we need to get back to the others okay" he said his eyes bright with worry. He reach out for my hand but I pulled away from him last second. 

I couldn't  shake the feeling that more than my appearance had changed. I felt different like I had something lurking inside me waiting to break free and it scared me.

"I can't go back looking like this" I nearly shrieked. It was one thing for the kids to joke around about me using music, no one believed it. If i can came back looking like this. . . I shuddered. he stared at me with confused eyes before shrugging and unzipping his plain dark gray jacket.

“here put this on and pull the hood up” he said offering me the jacket. I took it from him quickly and pulled the drawstring out of the hood. “what are you doing”

“tying my hair back” I said grabbing my hair in one hand and wrapping the string around it. I pulled the hood up the second i was done with my hair. “can you see any of it”

“nope, just leave the hood up and you'll be fine” he replied grabbing my hand, before could I retreat from him, and towed me towards the others.  I twitched uncomfortably as walked on in silence. I didn't like having him so close, it felt dangerous. 

We heard the voices of the others before long, next came the taunts. The others were much quicker to figure out who I was. 

"What did you bring that back for" a girl called.

"We don't want the witch with us" a boy called. 

"Why couldn't you just stay away. No one wants you here” another boy called.The rest of group just glared at me as we walked towards Mr. Callihan.

"Look who I found" Jonathan said gesturing to me as Mr. Callihan turned to us. His face relieved at the sight of another student alive. I gave him a small smile.

"That God you're all right, Star. Why didn't you come back before now" his voice got slightly sharper at the end. 

"I got lost in the dark" I replied lamely pulling on jacket sleeves. It was a lot softer than I would have expected. "Sorry for the trouble"

"Do you take me for a fool" he asked calling my lie. I looked away from his gaze trying to come up with a different lie.

"She was avoiding us" Jonathan answered quickly while running a hand through his hair, avoiding the cut on his head. "You know as well as I do that the other kids love to pick on her"

Mr. Callihan stared at the two of us as though trying to decide rather or not to believe us before shrugging and warning me not wander off again. We watched as he went to his daughter's side. 

She's not going to last much longer. The thought shocked me, she looked fine. Maybe a little pale, but not as pale as me. She was smiling and talking lively with her dad. But there was a chilling almost sickening scent coming off of her. 

“Star? You okay” Jonathan asked breaking the silence and making me jump. 

“yeah, I'm fine” part of me wondered if that was lie. I turned and looked around the camp. It wasn't much of a camp, just a cluster of kids huddled together in spaces between the desert shrubs. The fire burned weakly in the middle of the kids.  We need water and shelter. We won't make it without those. 

I started off towards the east to look for water.  Jonathan hurried after me. He grabbed my shoulder and nearly yelled “You are not going out on your own again”

I was swallowed by a fiery resentment. The lurking thing in me seemed to be burning the blood in veins in its attempt to get free.  How dare he try to tell me what I could or couldn't do. I twisted out from under his grip.  A snarl ripped through my teeth “I don’t have to ask for your permission”

He froze in his tracks. His eyes widening in surprise. I glared at him for a moment before the fire faded away letting a surge of guilt twisting my stomach in knots. I turned and started walking away again. 

“Star? Star wait up, please” Jonathan called running after me. I set my mind to get away from him. I was dangerous. I wasn't sure what that was just now, but it wasn't me. That sound had been completely animal, horrifying and unnatural. What's happening to me? 

I ran through the shrubs ignoring the stinging pain as the branches scraped against my skin through my jeans. I was slightly relieved to hear his stumbling footsteps falling farther behind. The relief was short lived. I heard something snap and the footsteps stopped. A copper and rust scent filled the air. 

“Crap” Jonathan muttered. I turned around to check on him. My breath caught in my chest. Blood was pouring from a long gash on his arm. He looked me in the eyes and begged quietly “Star, please don't leave me. I can't stand being alone”

“I'm not leaving you alone. You have them” I said pointing to the others. He laughed once without humor. 

“I'd rather you left me completely alone. All they do is remind me that my brothers are . .” his voice broke and he took a ragged breath. “you promised. You promised that you'd be here, if I needed you, or was that a lie”

I flinched at the reminder. I had promised him, was I going to break my word? I never had before. I groaned as I walked over to him and looked down at him. “I don't think I'm safe to be around. Jonathan, you heard me just now. I growled at you, just like an animal. I have no idea what's going on with me”

“Please, Star. What would you want if our roles were switched? Would want me to leave you alone with them” he asked meeting my eyes. The sorrow and pain were too plain on his face, it should have embarrassed him. 

“I guess you're right”  I agreed reluctantly. “Okay you can come with” I said tearing the bottom four inches off of my jacket and binding his arm. Once that was done I pulled him to his feet and started back on my course to the east. He followed me wordlessly. 

We traveled for a couple of hours, with no real conversation between us. Every now and again he'd ask me to slow down, but that was it. 

“Star, I think we should take a break and rest” He requested when the sun had climbed to the middle of the sky. 

“What?” I asked shocked. The idea of halting the search for water, for any length of time seemed absurd to me. Every cell in my body felt hard wired to find water. The stronger the thirst got the the stronger the drive was. “Why would we stop”

“Because I am honestly about to collapse” he said in a gasping voice. I would have pressed him to keep going but he didn't look he was joking. He was breathing hard. His forehead was covered in sweat and his arms were shaking slightly. 

“Okay, we'll rest for a moment” I led him to a large patch of greasewood. We sat in its shadow for a moment. 

“Aren't you tired at all” he asked after a minute. I shook my head pulling the hood off. I twitched suppressing the urge to continue without him. It dawned on me then, that I should be tired. We'd already gone over three miles and this was the first time we'd stopped. The pace I'd set had made Jonathan constantly ask me to slow down all morning. 

“no, actually it's driving me nuts to be sitting still” I admitted. he gave a disbelieving look so I added “I don't know how to explain it. My body is sort of tired but at the same time I feel so restless that it overpowers that. I feel like I could keep going for . . .”

Just then something caught my eyes in the distance. It was large and white. It was also heading straight for us. A shudder ran down my spine as my ears picked up an eerie clicking sound. My body reacted faster than my mind.

I was on my feet dragging Jonathan up with me without a conscious command to move. I started towing him behind me as quickly as I could. “Star?  What's going on?”

“It's back"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please feel free to comments and critiques I don't bite. . . Much lol


	4. Chapter 4

“It's back. We need to move” I answered pulling him through the sagebrush. I could hear the clicking growing louder as the creature started gaining on us. There was nowhere to hide, no trees no rocks, and most the desert shrubs here were barely a foot high.

“Star, what are you talking-”

“Run” I commanded cutting him off.

He picked up his pace, but not enough, the clicking was still gaining on us. I started dragging him a little too fast. He kept stumbling in the tangle of brush, till finally he completely lost his balance and fell to the ground. 

I turned around to drag him back to his feet and got a good look at the thing chasing us. It was easily ten feet tall and walked on six spindly legs. Attached to what appeared to a human torso were two thin arms ended in four black claws, each a foot in length. It's black skin was covered in thick white boney plates, that clicked against each other as it walked. It's head was pointed and oddly bird like. It even had a sharp curved beak, covered in dark red splatters.  The most frightening thing about the creature was coppery rust smell coming off it in sickening waves.

I grabbed Jonathan off the ground and ran carrying him in my arms. It barely register in my mind that I shouldn't have been able to just pick up another human being like an oversized ragdoll. Especially when said human was five inches taller and fifty pounds heavier than me. The approaching clicking took the center of my attention.

The creature was still gaining on us. My lungs were starting to burn from the effort of running so hard. Click click click the creature would be close enough to strike us soon.

The despair had started to choke my air off when my foot slipped.  I was suddenly falling. My eyes darted around step clay walls. I realized what had happened just before I hit the bottom. 

I landed with a splash slipping on the mossy stones of a stream. My ankle twisted and gave with a loud snap that dropped us into water. No doubt that it was broken, but the pain stayed in the back of my mind as I glanced up the steep banks. 

The water had washed the sediments away so sharply that the banks were partially walls trapping us in the stream. We had fallen close to eight feet. The clay wall was crumbled slightly where I had fallen down it. 

The monster stopped at the edge of bank making a loud hissing sound. The ledge crumbled under one of its legs and it scurried back a few steps shrieking. It paced the edge but never tried to come down after us. Why we were trapped? I couldn't figure out why it didn't just come and finish us off. Neither of us made a sound as the creature paced.

It felt like hours had passed when the creature hissed and finally slinked away. It wasn't till the creature's ominous clicking disappeared in the distance that I finally breathed a sigh of relief. 

“What was .  .  . That . . . Thing” Jonathan asked eyes wide with fear. I shook my head staring at the location where the creature had disappeared. He shifted a little and I realized I was still holding him in my arms.

“Sorry” I muttered dropping my arms. He got to his feet and turned to help me to mine. I felt a mild shock that my ankle wasn't hurting anymore. It had been broken minutes ago, but now it was perfectly fine. How?

“Why are you apologizing, I'm the who tripped and nearly got us killed”

I shuddered at his words. I started up the stream needing to walk off the nervousness.

“Umm Star?” He called after me. I paused letting him catch up. He waited till he was at my side before continuing “How did you do that?”

“Do what?”

“All of it, how'd you know that thing was coming, and then you carried me like I didn't weigh a thing and I've never seen someone run that fast, ever” he asked staring at me.

I shook my head feeling dizzy. What was happening? What was that thing? And what did it have to do with me? I knew without a question that was monster that had attacked me last night.  Had it caused this change in me? If it had did that make me a monster to? The questions kept circling in my head making me feel sick. 

I had to use the bank to support myself. I swallowed back a wave of nausea. My legs started shaking and I couldn’t breathe. I was scared because I knew one thing for sure. I wasn't human, not anymore. The admission took my legs out from under me. I sank to my knees. The icy stream water soaking through my pants and shoes. 

“Star! What's wrong?” Jonathan asked “Are you okay?”

“No, I'm not, please leave me alone” I begged quietly wrapping my arms around myself. 

“Star, I thought we'd been over this”

“Jonathan, are you blind? Can't you tell that I'm” it was hard to admit it loud “that I'm not human”

“I don't care if you're not human” He promised solemnly.

“How can say that?” I snapped glaring at him. He lowered himself so our eyes were on the same level. I couldn't understand the emotions swimming in his eyes. 

“Because, Star, rather you're human or not one thing hasn't changed” he said in a low voice “and that is, that you are still Star. I don't care about anything else. I don't care that your hair has turned white or that you have some sort of super strength. You are still the most amazing, selfless, and bravest person I have ever known”

“what are you talking about?”

“you, Star. Do you even realize what an amazing person you are?” he put a hand on my shoulder as he spoke. “Did you see anyone else make several trips back to the bus? I didn't. You were the only who went back after you got out, the rest of us just watched. You risked your life to warn us about the fire, and to save Mr. Callahan and Anne.”

“That was before, I'm different now” I argued in a whisper. 

“I don't think so. If you were you would have left me behind and saved yourself, when that thing showed up, but you didn't. Star I'm sure you're scared out of your mind right now, but you are still you. Don't forget that okay?” he smiled at me slightly. I stared at him dazed. He seemed completely serious.

I couldn't think of anything to say, so I started crying. It was embarrassing, but I couldn't get a hold on myself. It was too much, like there had been some wall keeping the reality of the last twenty four hours from hitting me, and now it was gone.  The bus crash, Kasey's death, giant monsters, the known and unknown changes in me. I couldn't handle it.  The tears started streaming down my face. I hid my face in my hands trying to muffle my sobs.

“Star, It'll be okay. Calm down” Jonathan said pulling me out of the  water. I buried my face in his chest trying to even out my breathing. He wrapped his arms around me holding me closer to him. 

I remembered freaking out the last time he'd been this close. I wasn't sure what the difference was, but I was comforted this time. I slowly pulled myself back together in his arms. 

“Feeling any better” he asked anxiously, pulling me away slightly to get a better look at my face. 

“yes” I mumbled quietly stepping away from him. His arms dropped to his sides quickly letting go of me. “um, let's continue down stream and see if we can find a way up”

He turned and looked at the slick clay banks. A frown pulled the corners of his mouth down. “How's your ankle”

“Fine”

“Star, I heard it break, so don't lie to me”

“I'm not, it's already healed” I whispered so my voice wouldn't crack. There was a long silence before he spoke. 

“What?” His eyes widened and the color drained from his face. My heart stuttered as I realized this was his breaking point. It had finally sunk in, I wasn’t human, and he was scared of me. I stepped away from him. 

I turned to run away, but he grabbed my wrist and hissed “then is that . . That thing still up there?”

“I don't think so, why do you ask” I tilted my listening for anything that would signal the creature's return. Nothing, just a breeze ruffling the branches of the desert shrubs on top of the banks. 

“then why don't we try getting out here?” he asked relaxing a little. I pulled my arm free and started down stream. 

“Because we need find something we can use to carry the water back to the others, and because chances are we won't be able to get the water up these walls” my voice was a little sharper than I had meant for it to be. But I was still too shaken by the thought that I had scared him away. 

“Huh, Star, What's wrong why are you upset again” he asked struggling to keep up with me. 

“It's nothing”

“then why don't you tell me”

“because I don't want to scare you” I snapped scarring him again, he stumbled and would have fallen if I hadn't caught him first. 

“Star the only thing you could do to scare me is tell me you're leaving” he said as soon as he regained his balance. He stared at me for a moment before asking warily “You're not telling me that are you?”

“Don't lie to me! You were scared of me just now” I snapped.

“I was scared, but not of you” he replied calmly, though he looked slightly guilty. “I'm sorry if I made you think something like that.  I jumped to conclusions, I thought you wanted to move because that, that thing was still here. I promise you didn't scare me”

“Okay, then let's get moving” I muttered not entirely convinced by his words. We kept looking for a place where the stream's banks lowered,  or at least weren't as steep.

Jonathan tried to start up conversation a couple times, but I wasn't very cooperative. I only spoke after he'd given up talking moved on to whistling.

“will you stop that?” I asked coldly. 

“huh, stop what?”

“whistling. It's giving me headache”

“sorry” he sighed and shoved his hands in his pockets “I'm just bored”

I let the conversation drop after that. I wasn't in a good enough mood to be polite, so it would be better to keep my mouth shut. 

The silence continued as the sun started sinking in the sky.  It was getting late and we needed to head back, but we hadn't found anything to carry the water in.  I sucked in a huge breath, as I pondered this dilemma, and nearly gagged. 

“Star what's wrong?” Jonathan asked nervously. I shook my head trying to clear it of the awful stench in the air. 

“That smell” I said with a grimace. I had stopped breathing through my nose, but I could taste it in the back of my throat.

“What smell? I can't smell anything”

“Really?” he had to be messing with me. It was so potent that my head spinning sickly. 

“yeah, what does it smell like”

“Rotten meat and blood and gasoline and” I pinched the bridge of my nose “if I keep thinking about it, I'm going to be sick”

“sorry” he was thoughtful for a moment “did you say you could smell gasoline”

“Yes” I replied slowly. I had no clue why that had caught his attention. What was the deal if I smelled gasoline? “Oh”

Gasoline meant people, and people meant we could get help. I would've been excited if the awful choking stench wasn't making my skin crawl. “let's keep going and see what's up ahead, it's not too much farther”

“Coming from you, I'm not sure that means much” he muttered but started following anyway. 

“you can stay if you think it's going to be too far you to walk” I said trying to be understanding. It was hard, even though it was clear physical exercise didn't wear me out like it did him. “If you're tired stay here and I'll come back for you”

“What?” he seemed shocked “why would you think that”

“you were just complaining about continuing” I pointed out, he blinked and shook his head. 

“Star I barely whispered, how did you hear me” he asked wide eyed. My brows creased together as I contemplated that. Now that he pointed it out, I shouldn't have been able to hear him, and especially not over the constant babble of the stream. 

“I'm get less human by the minute” I answered hopelessly. What was I developing super senses as well? Or was I just going crazy, hearing and seeing and smelling things that weren't there? No they were real, Jonathan had seen the monster and he'd admitted to the complaining, so I wasn't crazy, not yet anyway. 

We continued a little faster than before, hoping to find help at the end of the scent. The stream deepened as as we walked, rising to our knees. 

“I can smell it now” Jonathan said wrinkling his nose in disgust. I nodded and pulled the top of a dried reed. A few plants were growing on  the sandy part of the bank. I tried looking to see if any of them were edible, that's when I noticed it. 

Pale and waterlogged floating in the tangle of dead plants was a severed human hand. I gasped and staggered backwards knocking into Jonathan. He stumbled and fell into the water. 

“Star, what's wrong” he hissed, his eyes darting to the banks. He clamped his hand down on my shaking shoulders. I clenched my teeth and stopped breathing, but the stench stuck in the back of my throat. “Is that monster here”

“No” I gasp. Then it dawned on me “but it was. We're not going to find anyone left” my voice had shifted into growl making the last words almost impossible to understand.

“We should still look around. If there's no one left to help us, maybe they've left us something that we can use” he said pulling me towards a set of stairs dug into the steep bank. I planted my feet and yanked him back away from the stairs. 

“You are not going up there” I snarled still sounding more animal than human “I’m not going to let that thing tear you pieces like whoever was up there” I gesture to the bank.

“Star it'll be fine. We'll be quick”

“Like whoever that was” I asked pointing to the hand floating in the reeds. I watched the horror color his face as he finally noticed the dismembered piece of flesh. “I'm not letting you anywhere near that thing!”

“Then what do we do, Star. Because there could something up there might save a life”

“And that thing might be up there waiting to end ours” I growled. He glared at me, the space between his eyebrows puckering with his frown. We were in a stalemate. I could just drag him back the way we had come, but he could probably talk Mr. Callahan and some other students into coming here.

That's when I heard it. A small hitching sob. It sounded close by, just a little farther up stream. I turned my head slightly, unsure of what I was hearing.

“Star? Where are you going" he called at me. I slowly made my way towards the sound. The sound was coming from a large crevasse in the bank opposite the stairs. I peeked inside the crevasse. Oh no! 


End file.
